Gasolene aviation rotary motor.



J. ZANALETTI.

GASOLENE AVIATION ROTARY MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I5. 1917.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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JOSEPH ZANALETTI, OF ST. CLAIR HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN.

GASOLENE AVIATION ROTARY MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed October 15, 1917. Serial No. 196,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ZANALETTI, an Italian subject, and residentof the village of St. Clair Heights, county of Wayne, and State ofMichigan, have invented a certain new and useful Gasolene AviationRotary Motor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, and to the let ters of reference marked thereon,making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines andhas especial reference to engines of this character, in which aplurality of radially disposed cylinders and heads are caused to rotatebodily about a relatively stationary shaft.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide improved valves andvalve-operating mechanism, operable with respect to a relativelystationary part, and movable by the bodily rotation of the cylinders, inproper cylic time relation with the reciprocating pistons, in suchmanner as to do away entirely with the necessity for an auxiliaryvalve-operating shaft.

My engine is especially well adapted for use with aeroplanes. Therotation of the cylinder heads and the cylinder structures operate as acounter-balancing regulator for the engine, and the outer surfaces,being thus forcibly brought into contact with the surroundingatmosphere. the air will carry away sufficient heat without thenecessity of providing other means for cooling the cylinders of theengine.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 shows a plan view in section, of four spaced-apart cylinders,of a multiple cylinder engine, set up radially around the engine shaft,without including all of the intervening cylinders, to show the order ofmotion of the rotating parts.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the cylinder heads at right angles to theshowing of Fig. 1.

In both views the same reference characters are employed to indicatesimilar parts.

The four cylinder heads A are radially disposed with reference to theshaft K and are secured to a central cylinder structure, such as thecylinders of the engine, that ro- 18 provided with tate about the shaft.lVhen the cylinder heads are employed with a corresponding number ofcylinders of an engine, these cylinder heads are adapted to be attachedto and supported by the out-board ends of the cylinders. Each of thecylinder heads is axially bored, the bore of which is tapering toaccommodate a hollow, correspondngly tapering rotary valve E. The valveone large port F, more clearly shown in Fig. l, and exhaust and intakeports, B and C, respectively, are provided in the walls of the cylinderheads. These ports are located 90 degrees from each other. Each of thetapered, hollow valves is provided with an axially projecting taperedboss which passes through the end of the respective cylinder heads. Avalve-operating plate G is provided with an inturned flange near itsaxis, overlying the tapered projecting hub of the valve and is securedto the valve by the nut O. The cylinder head, proper, may be secured tothe end of the cylinder, in any convenient man ner, as shown. Thecylinders do not constitute any part of my invention, therefore, only afragment of each cylinder is indicated. The internally threaded nut Pmay be employed in its engagement with threads Q that are made on theoutside end of the cylinder to hold the head in place.

It will now be seen that the plate G is the means for rotating the valveE. The plate .1" is provided, on its inner surface, with an annulargroove, with which the balls L engage. In said grooves there are fouruniformly arranged spaced apart and oppositely disposed depressions,into which the balls pass when the plate G has been moved to its properposition, so as to temporarily hold it and properly to dispose it toprevent its disturbance until the plate is again positively moved. Theballs L are each placed in a cavity M, in four hollow bosses uniformlydisposed aaround the axis of the valve. Springs N in said cavitiesyieldingly press the balls against the inner surface of the plate. Thesprings N tend to hold the balls in the groove and depressions and atthe same time cause yielding, but close contact, between the inner boreof the cylinder head and the outer tapered surface of the valve. In theoperation of the valve the arrangement is such that the plate G will berotated one revolution to every two revolutions of the cylinders, in aman ner apparent to persons skilled in the art.

A stationary spider H, having two arms projecting toward the rotatablecylinder heads is provided, and on each arm there is a valve-movingprojection I and J. This spider is fixed to the relatively stationaryengine shaft and therefore is non-rotatable with respect to thecylinders and cylinder heads. It may, however, be rotatably adjusted onthe shaft K to change the time of valve operation.

A plate G is provided with tour projection shoulders 1, 2, 3 and at,giving the plate the general shape of a swastika. As the cylinder andcylinder heads rotate the shoulders engage the projections I and J,respectively, and rotate the valve onequarter of a revolution by eachengagement.

The cylinder heads A. are each provided with a valve port 13 for theexhaust gases and a valve port C for the intake charges, and a pocketand opening D for a spark plug. This opening is opposite to the intakeport C, or 180 degrees removed therefrom. The intake and exhaust portsare closed and opened in proper cyclic relation by the rotation of thetapered, hollow, rotary valve E, which is moved, as heretofore stated,by the plate G in its contactwith the relatively stationary projectionsI or J, when the cylinders are bodily rotated around the shaft K. Bythis arrangement, proper cyclic operation of the valves is accomplished,without the necessity of providing a special valve shaft for the purposeas usual in engines of this character.

The order of firing and exhausting the charges, in the respectivecylinders, may be arranged to suit conditions to be imposed by thedesigner and the adjustment of the cyclic time at which said operationsmay take place can be (hanged by the relative rotation of the spider 8with respect to the stationary shaft K.

The spark plug D is placed in a pocket in the cylinder head. Duringthreequarters of a revolution of the valve the pocket is closed by thevalve and therefore for this period of time it is not in communicationwith the interior of the cylinder. By this means the spark plug isprotected, more or less, from destructive effects of incrustation,oxidation, or other deleterious agencies.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an engine of the character described, provided with a plurality ofrotatable cylinders; an axially arranged rotatable valve for eachcylinder, having a part extending through the cylinder head; meanssecured to said part, outside of said head and rotatable on an axiscoaxially arranged with that of the cylinder, having as many projectionsas there are single strokes in each cyble of operation of the engine,and a suitable number of relatively stationary means in the path oi saidvalverotating means, for cyclically moving said valves in piston-timedrelation. v

2. In an engine of the character described, provided with a plurality ofradially disposed, rotatable cylinders; a hollow, axiallydisposed,tapered cylinder head, fixed to the outer end of each cylinder; a hollowtapered valve in each head; a hub projecting from said valve throughsaid head; a spring pressed plate secured to said hub having as manyprojections as there are single strokes in each cycle of operation ofthe engine and an appropriate number of relatively stationaryplate-rotating means, in the path of said projections, to rotate eachvalve in proper cyclic time.

3. In an engine of the character described, provided with a series oftour radially-disposed bodily-rotatable cylinder heads; a hollowcylindrical valve, axially disposed in each head, and having a singlevalve port to cooperate with two like ports through the wall of saidhead, the latter being located 90 degrees apart, a spark plug located ina pocket in said head, opposite said intake port; a plate secured toeach valve for rotating the valve intermittently and relativelystationary means, engaged by the plates in the rotation of thecylinders, to rotate each valve one-halt revolution on each revolutionof the cylinder structure.

4. In an engine of the character de scribed a bodily rotatable cylinder;a cylinder head having a tapered bore and secured to one end thereof; ahollow, tapered valve in said bore; a plate secured to the valve, havingan axially concentric groove with spaced apart depressions; springpressed balls engaging said pressions to hold the valve in predeterminedposition, and to yieldingly hold the valve in said bore, and anadjustable, relatively stationary means to intermittently rotate saidplate, upon the rotation of said cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my handthis fourth day of October, A. D., 1917.

JOSEPH ZANALETTI.

lVitnesses C. FRANKLIN LEAVITT, MARIE Lnavrrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

